Latch device for boxes and the like



May 27 1924.

J. SACHS LATCH DEVICE FOR BOXES AND THE LIKE Filed Oct 20 1921 ll llllf l l lll l lllll lllll -'r111llIElIIIlIllII/I1l/A INVENTOR dmuvz z.

ATTORNEYS Patented May 27, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH SACHS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

LATGH DEVICE FOR BOXES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed October 20, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH SACHS, United States citizen, residing at Hartford, Connecticut, have invented the following described Improvements in Latch Devices for Boxes and the like.

The invention is a sim 1e and eflicient latch for boxes and the ike, adapted to serve substantially all the purposes served by the various forms of spring latches, but being capable of manufacture at very low cost and having the advantages of extreme durability and freedom from derangement. It is specially suited for latching the metal covers to metal box bodies such as are used for enclosing electrical switches, fuses, etc., and can be so designed that it can be locked with a padlock or sealed against opening as commonly required in electrical installations, but it will be understood and will presently become apparent that latches using the principle of this invention may be used in widely varied relations. In. the following specification and in the claims I refer to the two parts or members which are secured together by the new latch as the body and cover members, but it will be understood that this is merely for convenience of description and that these terms import no limitation whatever to the manner of use of the invention.

In the acompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken out perspective of a box supplied with a latch of this invention in its preferred form; Figure 2 a section of a portion of the box body and its cover showing the latch in its closed position; Figure 3 a section on line IIIIII of Figure 2, and Figure 4 a similar section showing the latch opened and the cover partly opened.

In these drawings the rear flange of the box .cover is slotted to accommodate two out-turned tabs 1 punched out of the adjacent metallic wall of the box body and therewith forming a suitable and also a preferred form of hinge for an electrical box. Any other form of hinge orits uivalent may be used in connection with t is invention, or none at all, as circumstances may require. The opposite end of the box cover is slotted as-indicated at 2 for the reception of the latching element, or more particularly for the purpose of providing a latch-engaged or latch-operating portion 3 on the cover member as resently described. The latch element itself is fiat and so shaped that it Serial No. 509,206.

can be cheaply made by punching out of flat sheet-metal stock and in a single stamping operation, and it is mounted so that it can swing or rock on the body member, and preferably by means of a rivet 4 which serves as a latch pivot. The latch comprises a hook portion 4 and an actuating arm portion 5 angularly related thereto and separated therefrom by a divergent notch, the width of which is suflicient to accommodate and embrace the portion 3 of the cover memher to which it is opposed.

When the latch element is open it occw pics the position of Figure 4 and when the cover member is closed against or toward the body member the hook portion 4 enters the slot 2 while the actuating arm 5 is struck by the proximate side of the cover portion 3 and the latching element is thereby rocked or swung on its pivot to the position indicated in Figure 3. In this position the inner side of the hook arm 4 overlies the cover portion 3 in such relation that pressure ex erted in the direction to open the cover has no turning moment on the latch element, with the result that the two members of the box are latched together and cannot be opened as long as the latch retains the position stated. Release of the parts is accomplished by rolling or turning the latch slightly tdwards the position of Figure 4,,

whereupon the portion -3 acquires a turning moment on the latch and swings it out 'of the way leaving it substantially in the Figure 4 position, the opening movement of the latch being limited by a stop 6 in the form of a rivet head or an indentation in the body wall. It is preferred to make the outer edge of the hook arm rounded, and substantially concentric to the pivot, and this shape is found entirely convenient for releasing. The latching effect, it will be observed, results from the manner of engagement of the hook arm 4 with the cover portion 3; when the cover is closed, the latter portion bears flatwise against the straight or flat side of the hook, the line of its contact therewith being substantially erpendicular to the direction of cover opening movement and located very close to that line which represents the force acting on the center of oscillation of the latch. This relationshi prevents the turning of the latch b t e cover, as will be evident, but when tiie latch has been slightly turned, by hand, the free edge of the portion 3 then bears, cam-like, upon the fiat side of the arm 4 and rides upon it and throws the latch around. Very obviously there may be some considerable deviation from this specific manner of hook-arm engagement to avoid or counteract a turning moment on the latch, and it is apparent of course, that while the portion 3 is herein shown as integral, with the cover member, it can be a separate part and attached to the cover in any way desired. The most convenient and the cheapest way of producing this latch-engaged element 1s by punching the slot 2 or a notch in the cover member. The slot 2 is refer able because it provides for locking t e box closed, as by inserting a adlock hasp, or a sealing wire through the liole 7 in the hook arm when the latch is closed, which prevents withdrawal of the latter through the slot and thus locks the cover-member to the bod member.

T e actuating arm 5 of the latch element is curved on its inner side for its proper engagement with the inner surface of the cover portion 3, or such other part as may serve to operate it, and the shape of the curvature is designed with reference to such portion or part and to the end of imparting an adequate throw to the latch and without a greater extent of lost motion than is desirable for manual release. For boxes used in electrical work where the hinge is usually uppermost and the latch is located at the lower end, I prefer that the latch element be loosely; pivoted so that it may swing freely, and t us reach its fully closed position by the effect of its momentum acquired from the impact of the closing cover, this being a desirable form of the invention and serving to latch the cover tightly to the box body, although it will be apparent that gravity or other means could be used to the same end and it will also be apparent that Whatever the form or mode of operation of the latch element, it is immaterial whether it be mounted on the body or cover of the box.

Claims:

1. A latching device comprising in combination, cover and body members, a latch movably mounted on one of said members and havin an actuating portion and a hook portion, a apted to engage or latch with the other of said members and a part carried by the non-latch carryin member for cooperating with the actuating portion of the latch for moving the latch into locking position, independent return movement of the latch being necessary before said members can be separated.

'2. A latching device comprising in combination, cover and body members adapted to be latched together, a latch movably mounted on one of said members and formed with a notch dividing the same into an actuating portion, and a hook portion, the

other member having a part opposed to the open end of said notch and adapted to be embraced thereby on the closing movement of the members, said part being adapted for cooperation with the actuating portion of the latch for moving the latch into locking position, independent movement of the latch to free the part embraced by the notch being necessary before the members can be separated.

3. A latching device comprising in combination, cover and body members, a latch pivotally mounted on one of said members and having a hook arm and an actuating arm, the other member having a part adapted to be engaged by the hook arm and adapted to cooperate with the actuating arm for producing such engagement.

4. Latching devices comprising in combination, cover and body members adapted to be latched together, and a latch movably mounted on one of said members and having an actuating arm and a hook arm separated by a divergent notch, the other member having a part to which said notch is opposed adapted to co-act with the actuating arm to operate said latch and enter the said {)mtch on the closing movement of said memers.

5. A latch device comprising in combination, cover and body members, one of said members having a latch engaged part and a movable latch element on the other member adapted to receive motion from the closing of said members and move by momentum into latching position.

6. Latching devices comprising in combination, cover and body members, a momen tum latch freely pivoted on one of said members and having an actuating portion and a hook portion, the other of said mem bers having a part adapted for engaging and positively moving said latch through a part of its throw, the momentum of the latch resulting from such movement serving to carry said hook portion through the rest of its throw and into its latching position.

7. A latch device comprising cover and body members, one of said members having a slot or opening and the other having a.

movable latch element adapted to enter the opening and means whereby the closure of said members rocks said element while within said opening.

8. A latch device comprising cover and body members, one of which is provided with a slot and the other with a movable latch element adapted to be moved into locking engagement with the ed e of the slot by the closing movement of sai members.

9. A latch device com rising cover and body members, a flat latcl i element punched out of sheet-metal stock and movably mounted on one of said members and comprising a hook arm adapted to latch with a part of the other member and with. an actuating arm whereby it is moved by the closure 0 said members.

10. A latch device comprising cover and bod members, a latch element having a hoo arm and an actuating arm, the latter having a curved surface engaged by a part on one of said members to move the hook arm toward its closed position.

11. A latch device comprising the combination with cover and body members, one of said members having a slot or opening, of a latch element on the other member having an actuating arm and a hook arm adapted to enter said opening op osed to the slotted member for actuation t ereby and engage the edge thereof, the outer edge of said hook arm being curved and the inner edge thereof being shaped for latching engagement.

12. A latch device comprising in combination with cover and body members one of which has a latch engaged part, of a latch element having an actuating arm whereby the latch is closed by the closing movement of said members and having a hook arm adapted to engage said part, said engage ment being arranged to avoid or obstruct turning movement on the latch when the latter is closed.

13. A latch device comprising in combination with cover and bod members, one of which has a latch engage surface disposed substantially perpendicular to the direction of closing movement, a latch element on the other member having a hook arm adapted to engage said surface and means whereby the closing of the members moves said arm into such engagement.

14. A latch device comprising a slotted cover, a box body and a latch element mounted to rotate on a wall of said body and parallel with said wall and provided with a hook arm ada ted to enter the slot in the cover member y such rotation to latch the latter to the body, said cover having means op-' posed to said latch to actuate the same in closing.

15. In a latch device the combination with cover and body members, one of which has a slot or oienmg, of a springless latch element mova ly mounted on the other member and opposed to a art of the slotted member for actuation t ereby and havin a hook arm adapted to be advanced throug said slot into locking position, on closure of said members.

16. A latching device comprising cover and box body members, one of which has a slot or opening, and a latch element pivoted on the other member and having an actuating arm and a locking arm, the slotted member and the locking arm of the latch. element having cooperating parts constituting locking surfaces located substantially in line with the pivot of the latch in the direction of cover removal, thus establishing a dead center relation as to force tending to open the box.

17 Latching devices comprising cover and body members one of which has a slot or opening and the other a latch opposed to said opening and adapted to enter the same, and means on the non-latch-carrying member coming during the closing operatlon into contact with said latch, whereby said latch is advanced while within said opening from its position of rest into locking position.

18. In a latch device the combination with cover and body members, one of which has a slot or o ening, of a momentum latch element free y pivoted on the other member and opposed, to a part of the slotted. member to receive motion therefrom as the members close and havin a hook arm adapted to be advanced throug li the slot and thrown by momentum into locking position.

19. In a latch device the combination with cover and body members, one of which has a slot or opening, of a latch element pivoted on the other member and opposed to a part of the slotted member for actuation thereb and having a hook arm adapted to be a vanced through said slot into locking position on closure of said members, said hook arm having a slot for a padlock or seal.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

- JOSEPH SACHS.

Certificate of Correction,-

-It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,495,444, granted May 27, 1924, upon the application of Jose h Sachs, of Hartford, Connecticut, for an improvement in Latch DeYices for axes and the Like, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 15 and 16, claim 11, etrike out the words opposed to the slotted member for actuation thereby and insert the same to follow the word arm first occurrence, in line 14, same claim; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same ma conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice. Signed an sealed this 5th day of August, A. D. 1924.

[ WM. A. KINNAN,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

